ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Energy and Green Economy Bill

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many of his Department's officials are working on preparations for the Energy and Green Economy Bill.

Gregory Barker: The core Bill Team currently comprises three officials, with two more recruited and due to join in the summer. In addition there are numerous officials throughout policy and legal directorates contributing to the development of possible content.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Dungavel House Immigration Removal Centre

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many  (a) adults and  (b) children have been transferred from Dungavel detention centre to Yarl's Wood since the ending of child detention at Dungavel was announced;
	(2)  how many  (a) adults and  (b) children have been held at Dungavel detention centre since it was announced that child detention at Dungavel would cease; and what the average length of stay for each has been.

Damian Green: This Government are committed to ending the detention of children for immigration purposes while ensuring those who do no have a right to remain in the UK, continue to leave. As part of that commitment, I announced on 19 May 2010 that all families with children would no longer be held overnight at Dungavel Immigration Removal Centre in Scotland. I am also leading a review to find alternatives to detention for families with children which I expect to be completed within weeks.
	On 19 May a mother and child were transferred to Yarl's Wood from Dungavel House. No families with children have been detained at Dungavel from that time to the present.
	Eight single adults have transferred to Yarl's Wood from Dungavel between 19 and 31 May, the latest date for which data are available.
	Dungavel Immigration Removal Centre provides accommodation for 211 single adults. At 31 May, there were 208 adults detained at the centre. The length of immigration detention is as follows:
	
		
			  Number of detainees  Length of detention 
			 35 Up to 7 days 
			 44 Between 8 and 30 days 
			 41 Between 31 and 60 days 
			 45 Between 61 and 120 days 
			 19 Between 121 and 180 days 
			 24 For more than 181 days 
		
	
	These data are taken from local management information. They are provisional, subject to change and have not been subject to the detailed checks that apply for National Statistics publications.

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for student visas were refused in the academic year  (a) 2009-10,  (b) 2008-09 and  (c) 2007-08.

Damian Green: The number of applications for student visas that were refused in the financial years 2009-10, 2008-09 and 2007-08 are given in the following table. I have given data for the financial years as most student visa applicants apply in the summer months, before the start of the academic year.
	
		
			  Student visa applications( 1) 
			  Financial year  Refused 
			 2007/08 92,859 
			 2008/09 96,850 
			 2009/10 94,774 
			 (1) Excludes dependents and student visitors.  Note: The data in this table are based on management information and as such have not been quality assured. They are provisional and subject to change.

Identity Cards

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what purposes the £450,000 revenue raised by the identity card scheme has been allocated to date.

Damian Green: The Identity and Passport Service received total income of £196,000 from the issue of identity cards in the financial year 2009-10. All identity card fee income has been allocated against the cost of producing the cards.
	The publication of the coalition agreement on 20 May 2010 and subsequent announcement from the Home Secretary on 27 May 2010, has resulted in a decision to scrap identity cards.

Immigrants: English Language

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who will be responsible for the administration of the proposed English language tests for new migrants.

Damian Green: On 9 June, my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary announced a new language requirement for those seeking entry to the UK as the spouse or civil partner, fiance(e) or proposed civil partner, unmarried partner or same sex partner of a British citizen or someone who is present and settled in the UK.
	From autumn 2010, applicants will need to provide evidence that they have passed an acceptable English test at level A1 of the Common European Framework of Reference with one of the UK Border Agency's approved test providers. The UK Border Agency will publish details of acceptable tests and approved test providers at the earliest opportunity.

Marriage: Homosexuality

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 22 June 2010 , Official Report, columns 148-9W, on marriage: homosexuality, whether civil wedding and partnership ceremonies conducted on  (a) religious and  (b) civil premises are now able to include religious readings, music and symbols.

Lynne Featherstone: The answer given on 22 June 2010,  Official Report, columns 148-9W, explained that civil partnership and civil marriage registrations are entirely secular in nature and prohibited from taking place on religious premises or containing any religious language.
	An amendment made in the House of Lords to the Equality Act 2010 removed the express prohibition on civil partnership registrations taking place on religious premises. In response to this amendment, the Government committed to talking to those with a key interest in the issue of civil partnerships on what the next stage should be for civil partnerships. This will include consideration of whether civil partnerships should be allowed to include religious readings, music and symbols. This commitment was made through the document, Working for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Equality, published on 16 June 2010. There are currently no plans to allow religious readings, music and symbols during the registration of civil marriages.

Passports: Application

Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reason the passport with serial number 704503426 was purported to have been impounded; for what reason it was clipped; from whom her Department received the report that it had been lost or stolen; what checks her Department has made with the New Zealand authorities on the matter; whether that passport is issuable; and when a decision on passport application 2148107176 will be made.

Damian Green: Passport No 704503426 was impounded because it was recorded as lost on the Identity and Passport Service's lost and stolen passport database. Passports that have been recorded as lost or stolen that are subsequently recovered by the Identity and Passport Service (IPS) are normally destroyed, not clipped. The loss of a passport was reported by an individual with exactly the same name and date of birth as the holder of passport No 704503426. Therefore, the passport was recorded as lost in error. IPS has had no contact with the New Zealand authorities on this matter and has no information about the passport application referred to.

Passports: Biometrics

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  whether all UK passports are to contain biometric facial recognition scanned from applicants' photographs;
	(2)  if she will make provision for individuals with national identity cards to have their biometric data transferred to their passport before the National Identity Register is erased.

Damian Green: Since 2006 the Identity and Passport Service has issued all passports in the form of an e-passport with a secure chip containing the information shown on the passport data page and a biometric facial image based on the photograph submitted with the application.
	Once legislation is in place, all the information provided for the issue of identity cards and held on the National Identity Register will be destroyed and no information will be transferred to the passport database. Passport applicants will therefore need to continue to submit a recent photograph with the passport application.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Departmental NDPBs

Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport which of his Department's non-departmental public bodies will reduce their budgets by 3%; by how much the funding allocated to each such organisation is to be reduced in 2010-11; how much funding each such body received in the last three financial years; and how much funding each such organisation will receive in 2010-11.

Jeremy Hunt: The majority of the Department's NDPBs will cut their budgets by 3%-the following table provides details of all these reductions. The table also shows the revised budgets for 2010-11. These are the budgets for net expenditure related to the financial year 2010-11, including depreciation charges, but excluding expenditure financed by in-year income other than grant in aid. Grant in aid outturn is shown for 2007-08, 2008-09 and provisional outturn for 2009-10. Due to changes made as part of the Alignment Project, figures for 2010-11 are prepared on a different basis and are therefore not directly comparable with previous years.
	
		
			  £000 
			Plans  Grant in aid outturn( 1) 
			  Body  Reduction  2010-11  2007-08  2008-09  2009-10 
			 British Museum -1,832 59,251 44,893 50,943 48,348 
			 Natural History Museum -1,833 59,272 45,165 52,887 51,186 
			 Imperial War Museum -964 31,185 22,177 23,888 24,163 
			 National Gallery -912 29,489 25,597 26,369 27,287 
			 National Maritime Museum -678 21,912 18,491 19,750 19,240 
			 National Museums Liverpool -817 26,428 22,326 22,488 23,463 
			 National Portrait Gallery -265 8,577 7,038 7,693 7,744 
			 National Museum of Science and Industry -1,476 47,713 38,484 39,158 40,608 
			 Tate Gallery -2,164 69,979 45,929 61,385 55,987 
			 Victoria and Albert Museum -1,628 52,627 42,262 44,860 44,761 
			 Wallace Collection -161 5,197 4,156 4,228 4,301 
			 Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester -194 6,231 4,171 4,788 4,987 
			 Sir John Soane's Museum -37 1,199 1,339 1,339 1,181 
			 Horniman Museum -153 4,931 4,350 4,757 4,566 
			 Geffrye Museum -55 1,774 1,956 1,748 1,791 
			 Royal Armouries -319 10,329 8,917 8,264 8,474 
			 British Library -3,976 128,546 106,480 106,947 109,464 
			 Public Lending Right -230 7,463 7,488 7,388 7,582 
			 Museums, Libraries and Archives Council -408 13,024 14,743 16,271 4,015 
			 Sport England -4,265 137,549 113,296 130,163 134,422 
			 United Kingdom Sports Council -1,705 55,196 67,305 72,201 65,376 
			 United Kingdom Anti Doping -193 6,247 - - - 
			 Football Licensing Authority -38 1,235 1,261 1,231 1,261 
			 English Heritage -4,241 136,027 136,636 129,538 131,072 
			 Churches Conservation Trust -95 3,023 3,062 3,162 3,162 
			 Comm. for Architecture and the Built Environment1 -601 19,439 4,690 19,790 13,463 
			 Royal Household -502 16,222 17,378 16,107 16,107 
			 VisitBritain -1,252 40,497 50,650 49,900 45,800 
			 UK Film Council -1,303 42,130 25,110 30,064 37,034 
			 Gambling Commission -19 614 3,039 608 545 
			 (1) These figures exclude the non cash items (depreciation, cost of capital charge and provisions).

Gambling: Licensing

David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 22 June 2010,  Official Report, column 107W, on betting shops: licensing, how many decisions by local authorities in London to reject gambling premises licence applications have been overturned by local magistrates.

John Penrose: Unlike decisions to grant or refuse a premises licence, there is no requirement in the Gambling Act for either local authorities or magistrates to notify the Gambling Commission of appeals (whether granted or refused). As a result the Department does not hold the information requested and nor does the Gambling Commission.

Public Expenditure: Iraq

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what the budget is of each current project in Iraq funded by his Department; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Vaizey: This Department does not directly fund any project in Iraq. However, the British Library and the British Museum are providing valuable support for the preservation of the Iraqi cultural heritage through their work in Baghdad and Basra.

S4C: Finance

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport pursuant to the answers of 8 June 2010,  Official Report, column 106W and 21 June 2010,  Official Report, column 18W, on S4C: finance, how much funding his Department allocated to S4C in each of the last 10 years; and what the average daily viewing figures for that channel were in each such year.

Jeremy Hunt: The funding provided by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to S4C over the last 10 years is shown in the following table:
	
		
			   £000 
			 2000-01 75,126 
			 2001-02 76,817 
			 2002-03 80,217 
			 2003-04 85,217 
			 2004-05 92,217 
			 2005-06 92,217 
			 2006-07 92,217 
			 2007-08 92,817 
			 2008-09 98,440 
			 2009-10 (1)101,369 
			 (1) Provisional outturn. 
		
	
	The average weekly reach to S4C since 2000 is shown in the following table:
	
		
			   Percentage  Thousand 
			 2000 58 1,432 
			 2001 51 1,254 
			 2002 48 1,216 
			 2003 44 1,142 
			 2004 41 1,040 
			 2005 36 918 
			 2006 34 865 
			 2007 29 731 
			 2008 26 665 
			 2009 21 549 
		
	
	Data for the period prior to 2002 was based on a different BARB (Broadcasters' Audience Research Board) viewer panel and therefore it is difficult to make comparisons between recent years and the preceding period. In 2002, problems with the new panel led to a disproportionate and significant shortfall in the sample size of Welsh speakers, which affected S4C's data for the year.

WALES

National Assembly for Wales: Powers

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if she will publish the advice she has received in relation to the wording of the forthcoming referendum on primary law-making powers for the National Assembly for Wales.

Cheryl Gillan: On 23 June 2010 I referred the proposed referendum question and the preceding statement to the Electoral Commission for assessment. The wording of the question was considered and provided to me by the Wales Office Project Board which includes representatives of the Welsh Assembly Government, the Welsh Language Board and the Assembly Commission.
	It would not be appropriate for me to publish advice I have received. Given that the question has been referred to the Electoral Commission, it is now right and proper that the Electoral Commission have the 10 weeks they require to carry out their assessment before producing their report. When I lay the referendum Order, I will also lay a copy of the Electoral Commission Report before both Houses.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Housing Benefit

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the Financial Statement of 22 June 2010,  Official Report, columns 166-80, 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the number of  (a) pensioners,  (b) those of working age in work,  (c) those of working age out of work,  (d) social sector tenants and  (e) private sector tenants in receipt of housing benefit who will not receive the benefit as a result of the proposed reforms to the benefit in (i) 2011-12, (ii) 2012-13, (iii) 2013-14 and (iv) 2014-15;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the number of people likely to be affected by the proposed reform of housing benefit where  (a) local housing allowance is set at the 30th percentile of local rents,  (b) previous freezes on uprating are reversed and the link with prices and deductions for non-dependents is maintained,  (c) working age entitlements are limited to reflect the size of the family for those on the social rented sector,  (d) housing benefit is linked to consumer price indexation rather than to local housing allowance,  (e) the level of housing benefit awarded is reduced to 90% after 12 months of claiming jobseeker's allowance and  (f) a maximum limit for local housing allowance is introduced for each property size in each year from 2011-12 to 2014-15;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of the likely change in the number of private homes available for rent to local authority tenants as a result of recent reforms to housing benefit in each year from 2011-12 to 2014-15;
	(4)  what estimate he has made of the number of local authority tenants in receipt of housing benefit whose level of housing benefit is likely to decrease in each year from 2011-12 to 2014-15; how much on average will be lost per week; and what assessment he has made of the likely effect on  (a) local authorities and  (b) the construction of new local authority housing;
	(5)  with reference to Budget 2010, HC 61, what estimate he has made of the number of  (a) pensioners,  (b) those of working age (i) in work and (ii) out of work,  (c) local authority tenants and  (d) private sector tenants in receipt of housing benefit who will receive less housing benefit in (A) cash and (B) real terms in each year from 2011-12 to 2014-15; and how much on average will be foregone per week in each such category.

Steve Webb: The Department for Work and Pensions undertakes an assessment of the impact on specific groups as part of the policy development process. We will publish formal impact assessments in due course.

Housing Benefit

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will publish the most recent full dataset of rents used to calculate local housing allowance for each broad rental market area.

David Gauke: I have been asked to reply.
	The datasets comprise in excess of 450,000 items and could be published only at disproportionate cost. However, from next month, July 2010, the Valuation Office Agency will be publishing graphs on their website which will show the lowest, highest and median rents as well as the total number of rents held for each category in each broad rental market area (BRMA).

Pension Credit: Stirling

Anne McGuire: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Stirling constituency claim pension credit.

Steve Webb: The information requested is in the following table.
	
		
			  Recipients of pension credit in the Stirling constituency 
			  As at November 2009  Number 
			 Individual beneficiaries 4,250 
			 Household recipients 3,550 
			  Notes: 1. Case load figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Household recipients are those people who claim pension credit either for themselves or on behalf of themselves and a partner. Beneficiaries are the number of claimants in addition to the number of partners for whom they are claiming. 3. Parliamentary constituencies and local authorities are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant ONS postcode directory. 4. This information is published on our website at: http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/tabtool.asp and on the Nomis website at: www.nomisweb.co.uk  Source: DWP Information Directorate Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100% data.

Poverty: Children

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 10 June 2010,  Official Report, columns 15-17WS, on the local government savings package, if he will  (a) undertake and  (b) publish an assessment of the effects of the in-year reductions for grant funding for local authorities on measures to address child poverty in Nottingham.

Maria Miller: The Secretary of State for Local Government and Communities set out the reasons and basis for reductions to local government grants in his written ministerial statement of 10 June 2010,  Official Report, columns 15-17WS. Details of the revenue and capital grants that are to be reduced were placed in the Library of the House on the same day. The Government do not intend to undertake and publish assessments of the effects of these reductions on individual policy areas; it is for local authorities to decide where their opportunities for efficiencies lie across the totality of their responsibilities. The Government have provided councils with extra flexibility to support them in concentrating on local priorities and protecting essential frontline services.
	The Government are committed to tackling the root causes of poverty and to ending child poverty by 2020. The Child Poverty Act 2010 requires local authorities and their partners to prepare local child poverty needs assessments and strategies. This should encourage local authorities and their partners to prioritise the resources they collectively have at their disposal for reducing and mitigating the effects of child poverty in their area.

Social Security Benefits: Disability

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what consultation was undertaken before limiting eligibility to the Independent Living Fund for new applicants to those in employment for more than 16 hours per week;
	(2)  what annual reduction in expenditure is expected to arise from the Independent Living Fund as a result of restricting new applications to those working in excess of 16 hours.

Maria Miller: The Independent Living Fund is a discretionary fund administered by a non-departmental public body and is subject to the usual strict budgetary limits.
	The decision to limit eligibility for new applications to those in employment for more than 16 hours per week was taken under the previous Government. No formal consultation occurred before this decision was made, but prioritising this group was in line with the Independent Living Fund's Trust Deed.
	The Independent Living Fund was allocated £348 million for the year 2010-11. Its budget increased by 3% this year despite the wider fiscal pressures. There has not been a reduction in their annual projected expenditure.

JUSTICE

Courts: Closures

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate has been made of the financial impact on  (a) members of the public,  (b) members of the legal profession and  (c) the police in attending courts following the closure of local courts.

Jonathan Djanogly: An initial impact assessment has been produced for the consultations on proposals for provision of court services across Her Majesty's Courts Service (HMCS) estate. The consultation papers and the initial impact assessment can be found on the Ministry of Justice website at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/consultations/consultations.htm
	The initial impact assessment states there may be a travel cost impact on users of magistrates and county courts and that fewer courts could increase journey times and costs for court users such as victims, witnesses, general public, businesses, solicitors, barristers, police and NOMS-both probation services and prisoner transfers. However, consolidation of the court estate both in terms of function as well as location could mean that some court users will make fewer trips to court, e.g. CPS officers and solicitors may have to travel to fewer courts, and so lessening the overall impact. Fewer courts may also reduce the need for duty solicitors, decreasing costs incurred by the Legal Services Commission.
	The impacts, costs and benefits of court closures will be considered more fully during the consultation phase and a full impact assessment will be produced alongside the consultation responses.

Courts: Closures

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what arrangements will be made for payment of travel expenses for people who have to travel further to court after the closure of local courts.

Jonathan Djanogly: Public consultations on the delivery of courts services were announced on 23 June. No decisions on the closure of courts will be made until after the consultation period has ended and the responses considered in full. As such, no discussion has taken place about the arrangements for payment of travel expenses for people who may have to travel further to their local court. However, those attending court who are entitled to a travelling allowance or the payment of their travelling expenses will continue to be reimbursed as they are currently.
	The impact of court closures on travel times and travel costs is a key area on which we are keen to gain the public's views. Responses to the consultations will help shape more detailed discussion after the consultation phase on if and how current arrangements should be altered.

Magistrates Courts

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent assessment he has made of the extent of spare capacity in the magistrates court system.

Jonathan Djanogly: Utilisation rates currently average 64% across the magistrates courts. Courtroom utilisation is the time a courtroom is used, against the hours that a courtroom is available for use. The Government's aim is to increase utilisation of courtroom time to at least 80%.

Magistrates Courts: Greater Manchester

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the number of cases likely to be transferred to  (a) Tameside magistrates court,  (b) Stockport magistrates court and  (c) Manchester magistrates court following the proposed closure of other magistrates' courts in the Greater Manchester area.

Jonathan Djanogly: In the Greater Manchester area, my Department is consulting on the closure of Rochdale magistrates court and Salford magistrates court. The Lord Chancellor will take all views expressed during the consultation process into account before making any decision.
	No estimate has been made of the number of cases likely to transfer to each of these courts in the question. Should there be a decision to close Rochdale or Salford magistrates courts their work will move to other courts in the Greater Manchester area.
	The volume of cases heard in 2009-10 in the Rochdale, Middleton and Heywood local justice area was 12,927. The volume of cases heard in 2009-10 in the City of Salford local justice area was 12,711.
	Decisions on case transfer will not be made until after the Lord Chancellor makes decisions on which courts ought to be closed.

Prison Sentences

Ian Swales: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many of those sentenced to prison for a term of six months served  (a) six months,  (b) three months or less,  (c) six weeks or less and  (d) none of that sentence in each of the last five years.

Crispin Blunt: Prisoners who are sentenced to six months normally serve three months in prison. Adult prisoners sentenced to less than 12 months are not subject to supervision by the probation service on release from custody. However, they are 'at risk' of return to custody by the courts, to serve the unexpired portion of the sentence, if they commit an imprisonable offence before the expiry date of the original sentence. Young offenders (those under the age of 22 released from a term of detention in a YOI) are subject to a minimum of three months supervision. Juveniles prisoners sentenced to a detention and training order are supervised as part of the conditions of these sentences. These arrangements for release at the half-way point of sentence were introduced by the Criminal Justice Act 1991.
	The actual amount of time served in prison, following sentence, will depend on a number of factors, including time spent as a remand prisoner or credit for time spent on tagged bail if directed by the court, any added days and release on either home detention curfew or end of custody licence.
	For those prisoners discharged in 2004 to 2008 having been sentenced to six months, the amount of time served including remand is shown in the following table.
	
		
			   6 weeks or less  Over 6 weeks and up to 3 months  Over 3 months and less than 6 months  6 months  Total 
			 2004 110 6,200 600 10 6,900 
			 2005 60 5,500 600 10 6,100 
			 2006 50 4,900 600 10 5,500 
			 2007 70 5,000 600 10 5,700 
			 2008 60 5,000 590 20 5,700 
			  Notes: 1. Numbers below 1,000 have been rounded to the nearest 10. Numbers over 1,000 have been rounded to the nearest 100. 2. Data for 2009 are due to be published in July 2010 and therefore are not yet available. 3. These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

TRANSPORT

Bus Services: Newcastle upon Tyne

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment has been made of the likely effects of proposed reductions in the transport budget on the quality of bus services in Newcastle-upon-Tyne North.

Norman Baker: It is for local authorities to decide where their priorities and opportunities for efficiencies lie across the totality of their responsibilities, in order to protect front line services. The fact that certain grants have been chosen for reduction over others does not indicate that Government are imposing a national view on the relative importance of different areas. Nor do the Government expect there to be a direct correlation between grant reductions and local authority budget changes.

Electric Vehicles

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 17 June 2010,  Official Report, column 560W, on electric vehicles, if he will bring forward proposals for a national charging network for electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles.

Norman Baker: The mandating of a national charging network for electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles remains a coalition commitment. We are carefully considering a range of delivery options, but decisions have yet to be taken.

Mersey Gateway Project

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse consequent on the time taken to make a decision on approval of funding for the Mersey Gateway project.

Norman Baker: No estimate has been made. As with other such schemes, the Government can give no assurances that it can fund this scheme until the spending review is concluded.

Motorcycles: Driving Tests

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many motorcycle test examiners were available to carry out module 1 of the motorcycle test in  (a) Wales,  (b) England and  (c) Scotland on the most recent date for which figures are available.

Michael Penning: On 21 June 2010, 162 examiners were available to conduct module 1 practical motorcycling tests:
	 (a) 14 in Wales,
	 (b) 124 in England and
	 (c) 24 in Scotland.
	The data comprise the number of examiners available to deliver module 1 practical motorcycling tests and were not on leave or absent through sickness on 21 June 2010. These examiners were also available to conduct module 2 practical motorcycling tests as well as other categories of test.
	Examiners are not confined by national boundaries and are deployed to best meet local demand for tests.

Motorways: Speed Limits

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will end the operation of average speed camera readings on stretches of motorway where a 50 mph limit is in place on weekends and bank holidays when no work is taking place.

Michael Penning: holding answer 17 June 2010
	Reduced speed limits are used for the protection of road users and road workers. Where possible, speed restrictions are lifted when the risks to road users and road workers have been reduced.
	The Highways Agency reviews the number and scale of road works, including the use of temporary reduced speed limits, at bank holidays to see how many can be reduced or removed temporarily.
	Where narrowed lanes or contra flow systems have to remain in place, even when work is not being carried out, it may not be safe to remove the temporary speed limit. The Highways Agency is investigating the possible use of moveable barriers to address this problem.

Railways: Freight

John Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment his Department has made of the effect on the economy of transporting one tonne of freight by rail instead of by road.

Michael Penning: The Department for Transport has not made a general estimate of the economic effect of a tonne of freight being taken by rail instead of by road because in the majority of cases industry choose the most efficient mode, thereby balancing the amount the carriage of the freight is worth with the cost of moving it by particular modes.
	Where the Department intervenes in mode-choice, grants are given in order to account for impacts that do not necessarily figure in industry decision making. One of these impacts is road congestion and its associated economic impact, which can be reduced by taking freight by rail instead of by road. The costs of congestion vary by where on the road network a heavy goods vehicle (HGV) travels and detailed estimates of these costs for articulated HGVs were published in April 2009. Tables 4 and 7 in the report 'Mode Shift Benefit Values: Technical Report' show estimates for different types of road and in different areas. The analysis found that on average the cost of congestion is 52p per mile for an articulated HGV. The document is available on the internet at the following address:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/adobepdf/165226/443908/msbtechpaper.pdf

Roads: Repairs and Maintenance

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much funding his Department plans to make available for the repair and maintenance of potholes in roads for which it is responsible in 2010-11.

Norman Baker: Local roads in England are managed by local highway authorities. Funding is provided by central Government to local highway authorities to support investment in their roads. Local highways authorities have been advised of their allocations for 2010-11 from the £84 million provided to assist them repair potholes they consider were caused by severe weather this winter. On receipt, by the Department, of confirmation from an authority that they accept the terms and conditions of the grant, the authority will be entitled to their full allocation.
	For the trunk road network in England, managed by the Highways Agency, no special funding has been provided for the repair of potholes as the costs for repairing potholes tends to be relatively small compared to the overall allocated maintenance budget. If potholes have safety implications, they are repaired promptly as part of the Highways Agency's routine and winter maintenance programme.

DEFENCE

16 Air Assault Brigade: Pay

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many and what proportion of members of 16 Air Assault Brigade will have their pay frozen as a result of the decision to freeze the wages of public sector workers;
	(2)  how many and what proportion of members of the armed forces will have their pay frozen as a result of the decision to freeze the wages of public sector workers.

Andrew Robathan: It is not possible to calculate accurately the numbers affected by the pay freeze in April 2011 due to factors such as promotion, recruitment, retirement etc. However, it is estimated that about three quarters or some 140,000 service personnel are on salaries above £21,000 and so would be subject to the public sector pay freeze next year. Most service personnel whether in receipt of a pay rise or not, will continue to receive annual increments on the anniversary of their seniority in rank and so will still get an increase in pay at some point. In addition, those personnel deployed on operations will continue to benefit from a range of additional allowances, for example the operational allowance, which was recently doubled, as well as the wider operational welfare package.
	It is not possible to predict with any accuracy the proportion of particular Brigades that will be affected by the pay freeze in April 2011. If a similar pay freeze had come into effect in April 2010 we estimate between 70-75%of the 16 Air Assault Brigade would have been affected.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many times an International Security Assistance Force helicopter in Afghanistan has been struck by insurgent fire in 2010.

Nick Harvey: I am withholding the information requested as its disclosure would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness and security of the armed forces.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 22 June 2010,  Official Report, column 119W, on Afghanistan: peacekeeping operations, what the percentage increase was in  (a) new helicopters,  (b) armoured vehicles and  (c) protected vehicles delivered to Afghanistan in each of the last five years.

Nick Harvey: holding answer 28 June 2010
	I am withholding the information requested as its disclosure would prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces. I refer the hon. Member to the answer the Defence Secretary gave him on 22 June 2010,  Official Report, column 119W.
	We are continuously delivering improvements to our fleet of helicopters protected and armoured vehicles in Afghanistan to ensure that they meet operational requirements.

Ammunition

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the fissile material in each of the United Kingdom's 65 non-operational nuclear warheads has been removed from the weapons and stored separately.

Peter Luff: The warheads in question are necessary to sustain the operationally available stockpile. They are held to support routine logistic, maintenance and warhead assurance activities and therefore they retain their fissile material.

Armed Forces: Germany

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions he has had with the Chief of the General Staff on restationing of British troops based in Germany.

Nick Harvey: holding answer 24 June 2010
	The Secretary of State for Defence regularly discusses a range of issues with the chiefs of staff.
	The Ministry of Defence is examining its requirement for all overseas basing as part of the Strategic Defence and Security Review. However, this study has not yet reported to the Secretary of State.

Armed Forces: Horses

David Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many horses owned by the armed forces were sold upon their retirement in the last five years; and how much income was generated from such sales;
	(2)  how many horses have been retired from the armed forces in each of the last five years.

Nick Harvey: The numbers of horses retired from the armed forces in the last five calendar years, the number subsequently sold or gifted and the income generated from those sold are shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Number retired  Number sold or gifted  Income (£) 
			 2005 58 37 13,400 
			 2006 41 28 10,150 
			 2007 51 26 9,350 
			 2008 71 51 29,000 
			 2009 55 4 27,517 
		
	
	Horses that have served for long periods will, wherever possible, be sent to a home that has been found suitable following inspection. Horses that have failed training will usually be sold.

Armoured Fighting Vehicles

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Pinzgauer Vector vehicles are deployed for use by British forces in Afghanistan.

Peter Luff: I am withholding the information requested as its disclosure could prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.

Astute Class Submarines

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reasons there have been changes to the previously announced timescale for the Astute-class submarine programme.

Peter Luff: There are two main reasons for the changes that have been made to timetable for the delivery of the Astute class submarines. First, delays to boat one have been caused by technical issues, which are not uncommon on first of class vessels. These have been exacerbated by the need to re-establish the UK's nuclear submarine design, build, testing and commissioning capability following a ten year gap since the delivery of the last submarine and 17 years since the last first of class, HMS VANGUARD. The second reason was a conscious decision of the previous Government to slow down the production of boats two to seven in response to in-year budgetary pressures.

Astute Class Submarines

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what change there has been in the budget allocated to the Astute-class submarine programme since its inception.

Peter Luff: The National Audit Office's Major Projects Report (MPR) 2009, HC 85-1, 2009-10, dated 15 December 2009 records that the procurement cost was originally approved in 1997 at £2,578 million for three boats, Batch 1. The report also records that the equivalent cost has, since 1997, increased by £1,355 million, to £3,933 million.
	MPR 2009 also records that the boat four procurement cost was approved in 2007 at £1,610 million, and that this has since reduced by £21 million to £1,589 million.
	There are no equivalent approved procurement costs for boats five to seven, so it is not possible to make any cost comparisons.
	Similar cost estimates are being developed to inform MPR 2010.

Defence Equipment

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has paid for the eight Chinook Mk3s ordered since 1997; what steps his Department is taking to ensure that orders for military equipment are delivered on time and on budget; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Luff: Since 1997, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) has paid £389.4 million for the eight Chinook Mk3 helicopters. The payments include the original procurement cost and expenditure to make the helicopters suitable for operational deployment.
	Defence acquisition continues to be faced with the significant challenge of procuring and supporting some of the most complex engineering available, in some of the harshest global environments. While performance in defence acquisition has improved, we accept that there is more to do. The Department has an ongoing acquisition reform agenda. The reforms are designed to ensure it remains strategically-aligned, affordable and achievable, including by improving internal skills, management and decision-making.

Iraq

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what projects in Iraq are being funded by his Department; what the budget of each such project is; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: The tri-departmental conflict pool's middle east programme is jointly managed by Ministry of Defence (MOD), Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and the Department for International Development, and has an allocation of £6.8 million to support projects in Iraq in the current financial year. The objective of the middle east north Africa conflict pool is to support the development of the effective and accountable public institutions to protect citizens and deliver services in Iraq. The solely MOD element of these projects amounts to £342,000 and has been allocated in support of the MOD-sponsored Iraqi officer training programme, which is developing the capability and capacity of the Iraqi security forces.

Land Mines

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department is taking to ensure that British troops have the most advanced equipment to detect land mines.

Peter Luff: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) attaches the highest priority to this work. A range of equipment, is in service to counter, and neutralise, the threat of land mines and the MOD's ongoing research programme is continually looking at all aspects of the ways in which we deal with the land mine threats. For operational reasons, it would be inappropriate to be more specific.

Turkey: Tornado Aircraft

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the military objectives are of the British Tornado aircraft stationed at Incirlik.

Nick Harvey: No RAF Tornado or any other British military aircraft types are stationed at the Turkish Air Force Base at Incirlik. A small detachment of RAF Tornado GR1 aircraft was maintained at Incirlik between 1995-99. The detachment was operating in direct support to Operation WARDEN/NORTHERN WATCH, enforcing no-fly zones over Iraq.

UK Trade and Investment Defence and Security Organisation

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department was reimbursed by the UK Trade and Investment Defence and Security Organisation under the Service Level Agreement in  (a) 2008-09 and  (b) 2009-10.

Peter Luff: holding answer 28 June 2010
	The costs the Ministry of Defence transferred to UKTI in 2008-09 was approximately £8,231,000 and in 2009-10 approximately £4,304,000.
	The reduction largely reflects the transferring of staff and contracts to UKTI and the move out of St Georges Court rather than a overall reduction in activity.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Agriculture: Regulation

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what methodology the task force on farming regulation will use to assess the environmental impact of the use of chemicals in farming under the current regulatory structure; and if she will make a statement.

James Paice: The methodology of the task force on farming regulation will be left to the discretion of its chairman, Richard Macdonald. We expect to announce the task force's members and its terms of reference' in the very near future.

Agriculture: Regulation

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs who will have responsibility for the subject of environmental protection on the task force on farming regulation; and if she will make a statement.

James Paice: We are currently approaching prospective members to form the task force on farming regulation. Full membership will be announced in the near future. The group will consist of individuals invited for their personal experience and not as representatives of specific sectors. However it will be important to have a good balance of interests and expertise among the members, including working farmers.
	We will shortly publish the terms of reference of the group but it will clearly state that simplification of regulation will not involve any reduction in standards.

Agriculture: Subsidies

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many single payment scheme cheques issued by the Rural Payments Agency were for amounts less than  (a) £60,  (b) £40,  (c) £10,  (d) £1 and  (e) £0.50 in 2009.

James Paice: The number of 2009 single payment scheme payments issued by the Rural Payments Agency for the bands and scheme year specified in the question are shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Band  Number of payments made 
			 £40.01 to £60.00 77 
			 £20.01 to £40.00 23 
			 £10.01 to £20.00 5 
			 £1.01 to £10.00 2 
			 £0.51 to £1.00 0 
			 £0.01 to £0.50 4 
		
	
	Single Payment Scheme payments are made directly into bank accounts.

Agriculture: Subsidies

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much her Department has spent on administering non-compliance penalties under the single payment scheme in each of the last five years.

James Paice: It is not possible to identify separately the costs of administering non-compliance costs from overall administrative costs.
	Penalties, reductions and exclusions may be applied to single payment scheme applications for a number of reasons if an application is found to be non-compliant.

Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will publish her Department's assessment of the scientific evidence which was used to decide on a targeted cull of badgers.

James Paice: We are currently looking at all the key relevant evidence, including published scientific evidence from the Randomised Badger Culling Trial (RBCT) and subsequent post-trial analyses, to draw up proposals which we will publish for consultation.

Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the estimated cost will be to her Department of carrying out a targeted cull of badgers.

James Paice: The coalition has committed that, as part of a package of measures, we will introduce a carefully-managed and science-led policy of badger control in areas with high and persistent levels of bovine TB.
	We need to consider all the issues carefully, including the scientific evidence, to work out the detail of the package to ensure we get it right. We will be looking at vaccine and culling options as part of that package.
	We will set out our proposals in due course, including the estimated costs.

Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate has been made of the area of the country in which  (a) badger culling measures and  (b) other measures would be necessary in order to carry out the science-led approval to bovine tuberculosis control as set out in the Coalition Agreement; in which areas each type of measures would take place; and if she will make a statement.

James Paice: The coalition Government have committed to introduce a carefully managed and science-led policy of badger control in areas with high and persistent levels of bovine tuberculosis, as part of a package of measures on bovine TB. We are currently looking at options including culling and vaccination, and which areas of the country might be affected, and will set out our proposals in due course.

Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the cost to her Department of implementing the science-led approach to the control of bovine tuberculosis in each of the next five years.

James Paice: DEFRA-funded expenditure on bovine tuberculosis in England was £63 million in 2009-10. We are currently looking at options to introduce a carefully-managed and science-led policy of badger control in areas with high and persistent levels of bovine TB, and it is not yet possible to provide cost estimates. More generally, it is difficult to forecast TB expenditure accurately because compensation and testing, which account for the largest proportion of annual expenditure on TB, are linked to market values for cattle and to disease levels.

Bovine Tuberculosis: Vaccination

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her plans are for the six badger vaccination demonstration projects approved by the previous Government.

James Paice: On 25 June it was announced that the Badger Vaccine Deployment Project (BVDP) has been reviewed and for the time being will proceed only in one area (Gloucestershire, near Stroud), in order to help maintain capacity at the Food and Environment Research Agency to train lay vaccinators. Badger sett surveys will also be completed in the Gloucestershire area near Cheltenham since this was already well under way. The areas in Staffordshire, Herefordshire/Worcestershire and Devon where the BVDP was due to take place will not now be trapped and vaccinated as part of the project.

Departmental Mobile Phones

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for West Bromwich East of 9 June 2010,  Official Report, column 148W, on departmental mobile phones, what the  (a) purchase cost of the handset,  (b) network provider,  (c) type of tariff and  (d) name of the supplier is of the BlackBerry device issued to each Minister in her Department.

Richard Benyon: holding answer 24 June 2010
	DEFRA purchases BlackBerrys from Vodafone through a procurement contract, which also covers the provision of the network services. Under this contract, DEFRA has built up a credit bank; all the ministerial BlackBerrys were obtained through these means at no extra cost to the Department. The BlackBerry tariff is the UK Standard tariff (plus voice calls) of £17 plus VAT per month.

Flood Control

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what funding her Department has allocated for flood defence projects in each of the next five financial years.

Richard Benyon: Plans for investment in flood defences by flood and coastal erosion risk management operating authorities in 2011-12, and subsequent years, will be subject to the forthcoming spending review, concluding in the autumn.

Flood Control: Aylesford

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress her Department has made in introducing flood alleviation measures for Aylesford.

Richard Benyon: The Environment Agency's preferred flood alleviation option is to intercept flood water upstream of the village and divert it into a nearby quarry via a 250m long culvert. This is due to be completed in 2011-12.
	The Environment Agency is now undertaking the outline design and preparing a funding bid which will be considered against other schemes as part of the National Investment programme in October 2010.

Flood Control: Chatham

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much her Department has spent on flood protection measures in Chatham and Aylesford constituency in each year since 1997.

Richard Benyon: The Environment Agency allocates funding to stretches of river and areas at risk of flooding rather than to parliamentary constituencies.
	The Environment Agency completed the Aylesford Tidal Medway Bank Slip in 2006 at a cost of £75,000, refurbished the Aylesford Pumping Station in 2008 at a cost of £25,000 and replaced the Lower Medway Tributaries Weedscreen in 2009 at a cost of £25,000.
	The Environment Agency also has an annual programme of works for the River Medway Catchment.

Flood Control: Kent

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what funding her Department has allocated to flood defence projects in Kent in  (a) 2010-11 and  (b) each of the next three financial years.

Richard Benyon: The Environment Agency's indicative programme of works in the Kent and East Sussex area for the next three years is as follows:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2011-12 Indicative programme 28,752,000 
			 2012-13 Indicative programme 15,357,000 
			 2013-14 Indicative programme 27,805,000 
		
	
	The figures shown are from the Environment Agency's ten year medium-term plan.
	These figures are indicative. Funding for future years is subject to the outcome of the Comprehensive Spending Review each autumn, and priorities at the time.

Sustainable Development

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what position the EU plans to take at the Rio+20 UN Conference on Sustainable Development.

James Paice: The EU adopted Council conclusions on the 2012 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development on 11 June. The conclusions set out political support for the conference, endorse the two agreed themes, 'green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication' and 'institutional framework for sustainable development', and welcome the organisational structure to support the preparatory process. The EU is strongly committed to playing an active and constructive role and will be developing more detailed positions in the run up to the second preparatory committee meeting, due to take place next February.

Timber

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had with her EU counterparts on measures to prevent the illegal logging of timber.

James Paice: The UK is a strong supporter of EU legislation to eliminate the flow of illegal timber onto the market-commonly called the Due Diligence Regulation. The EU is close to agreement on a strong regulation that will include a prohibition to prevent illegal timber from entering the EU market. We are working with all EU member states, the Commission, and the European Parliament to finalise this agreement. The Secretary of State recently discussed the draft regulation with Germany, Portugal and Denmark.

CABINET OFFICE

Departmental Official Cars

Tom Watson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many  (a) civil servants and  (b) special advisers in (i) his Department, (ii) the Prime Minister's Office, (iii) the Deputy Prime Minister's office and (iv) the office of the Leader of the House are entitled to the use of (A) a car with a dedicated driver, (B) a car from the Government car pool and (C) a taxi ordered through a departmental account.

Francis Maude: No civil servants or special advisers in this Department have a dedicated Government car or driver.
	As was the case under the previous Administration, civil servants, including special advisers, may use a taxi or car from the Government car pool in properly defined circumstances.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Tom Watson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office when he plans to answer  (a) question (i) 130, on departmental manpower, (ii) 27, on travel guidance for Government departments and (iii) 287, on departmental official vehicles, tabled on 25 May 2010 and  (b) question 595, on the Coalition Press Office, tabled on 26 May 2010.

Francis Maude: I refer the hon. Member to my answers of 17 June 2010,  Official Report, column 520W, on the coalition press office (595); 22 June 2010,  Official Report, column 177W, on departmental manpower (130) and 28 June 2010,  Official Report, column 446W, on departmental official vehicles (287).
	The question on travel guidance was transferred to HM Treasury on 28 May 2010.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Chevening

Tom Watson: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many rooms at Chevening have been allocated for his use; and what allocation of staff has been made to support him when in residence.

Nicholas Clegg: I have been nominated as the occupant of Chevening.

Lobbying

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to his answer of 15 June 2010,  Official Report, column 321W, on lobbying, what external organisations he plans to consult on the statutory register of lobbyists other than the UK Public Affairs Council.

Mark Harper: We will consult with those organisations that have an appropriate interest in this area before introducing a statutory register of lobbyists.

Monarchy: Succession

William Bain: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will bring forward proposals to change the law to enable Roman Catholics or those married to Roman Catholics to succeed to the throne.

Mark Harper: There are no current plans to amend the laws on succession.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Business: Government Assistance

Anne McGuire: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many businesses in Stirling constituency have taken up the Working Capital scheme since its inception.

Mark Prisk: The Working Capital Scheme (WCS) was launched last year to provide guarantees for banks: individual businesses were not eligible to apply for these guarantees. No further guarantees will be available under the WCS although existing guarantees will be honoured.

East of England Development Agency

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assets were owned by the East of England Development Agency in each year since its inception; and what the monetary value was of each of those assets in each of those years.

Mark Prisk: The East of England Development Agency (EEDA) owned assets for the purposes of investment, development and operation to the value of:
	
		
			  £ 000 
			   Investment a sset( 1)  Development a sset( 2)  Operational a sset( 3) 
			 1999-2000 3,193 1,178 822 
			 2000-01 4,535 2,681 919 
			 2001-02 6,009 9,207 830 
			 2002-03 7,811 19,223 734 
			 2003-04 6,065 22,496 931 
			 2004-05 3,347 28,980 1,094 
			 2005-06 3,123 27,501 1,362 
			 2006-07 3,102 19,765 1,261 
			 2007-08 2,738 19,765 1,967 
			 2008-09 2,535 11,219 1,937 
			 2009-10 223 11,315 2,216 
			 (1) An Investment Asset is defined as a property acquired for the purpose of producing income for its owner. In practice, EEDA acts as an interim owner of assets until a development company or equivalent is in a position to purchase the asset. Investment assets are sold on at market value. (2) A Development Asset is defined as land inherited or acquired for the purpose of developing following clearance, decontamination and securing planning permissions. Under the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors valuation standards (Red Book rules), RDA land is valued at proposed end use which may result in a different valuation from current market value without restrictions. (3) Operational assets include the following categories; Furniture and Equipment IT Hardware IT Software (operational software) Software Licences Websites which will have an economic monetary benefit in the future.

East of England Development Agency

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much the East of England Development Agency has spent on  (a) administration and  (b) projects in each year since it was established.

Mark Prisk: The information requested is available in the annual report and accounts published by EEDA and deposited annually in the Libraries of the House. The report and accounts for the year ending 31 March 2010 will be deposited in the Libraries of the House before the summer recess.

Manufacturing Industries: Motor Vehicles

Anne McGuire: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many cars were purchased under the scrappage scheme in Stirling constituency during the scheme's operation.

Mark Prisk: Using data based on the locations of dealerships and data for scrappage transactions which have been completed and vehicles delivered, there have been 1,513 completed scrappage transactions in Stirling constituency. Due to the nature of the scheme, we will not have final data on completed scrappage transactions until approximately the beginning of September this year.

Public Finance

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the capacity of the private sector to absorb redundancies in the public sector arising from reductions in departmental expenditure limits.

Danny Alexander: I have been asked to reply.
	Public sector organisations will need to reform to live within the tighter spending envelope necessary to tackle the deficit. It will be for public sector employers to determine the exact workforce implications in line with their overall budget reductions-which will be determined by the Spending Review.
	The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) has published its independent assessment of economic prospects taking into account all measures in the Budget (Budget 2010, HC 61). The OBR forecasts that employment will rise from 2011 onwards, reaching 30.1 million (1.1 million above its 2009 level) by 2015.

Regional Development Agencies: Pay

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the gross salary and pensions benefits was of the  (a) chief executive,  (b) deputy chief executive and  (c) other executive directors of each regional development agency in each year since their inception; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Prisk: The information requested is available in the annual reports and accounts published by the individual RDAs and deposited annually in the House of Commons Library. The reports and accounts for the year ending 31 March 2010 will be deposited in the Library before the summer recess.

Simon Hughes

David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions Ministers in his Department have had with the hon. Member for Bermondsey and Old Southwark on student finance.

David Willetts: MPs frequently meet BIS Ministers to be briefed on policy issues on which this Department leads.

HEALTH

Cervical Cancer: Screening

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for the future of cervical cancer screening in the NHS; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Burstow: The independent Advisory Committee on Cervical Screening (ACCS) advises on the development of the cervical screening service in England, monitors its effectiveness and efficiency and advises on research within the provision of the service.
	The December 2010 meeting of the ACCS will discuss the future strategic direction of the programme based on recent and imminent research findings into new screening technologies and methodologies. The discussion will involve human papillomavirus (HPV) triage for women with mild or borderline screening results, HPV testing as primary screening, and automated reading of cervical samples. The discussion will also include the impact of HPV vaccination on the programme, as the young women vaccinated in the early waves of the vaccination programme approach the age at which they will be invited for cervical screening.

Dementia: Health Services

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made in recruiting dementia champions in each primary care trust.

Paul Burstow: The National Dementia Strategy calls for the appointment of dementia leads in general hospitals and in care homes. The National Audit of dementia services, due to report in October, will demonstrate progress on the appointment of leads in general hospitals. The Government have also appointed national dementia champions for the national health service (Sir Ian Carruthers) the independent sector (Martin Green) and for social care (Jenny Owen). Together with the National Clinical Director for Dementia, Professor Alistair Burns, they will be conducting regional roadshows throughout the summer of 2010 to encourage implementation of the strategy.

Departmental Legislation

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department has created new files on  (a) the Abortion Act 1967,  (b) the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 and  (c) the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008 since July 2009; and if he will make a statement.

Anne Milton: The Department has created new files on the Abortion Act 1967, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 and the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008 as the need has arisen.

Departmental Pay

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was paid in bonuses to civil servants in his Department in 2009-10.

Simon Burns: Non-consolidated performance payments are an integral part of the Department's reward strategy for all its staff. They have to be re-earned each year and do not add to future pay bill costs. These payments are used to reward outstanding performance and behaviours in delivering the Department's agenda.
	£2,499,004 was paid in non-consolidated performance payments to civil servants in the Department in the financial year 2009-10.

Departmental VAT

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the change in the level of value added tax his Department will be required to pay in the financial year  (a) 2010-11 and  (b) 2011-12.

Simon Burns: Departmental budgets are set on a tax inclusive basis and allow for the recovery of value added tax on certain contracted out services.
	In support of the Government's plans to save £6.2 billion in 2010-11, the Department is planning for a reduction in expenditure with third parties in 2010-11 compared to 2009-10 levels. Therefore, at this stage in the year we are unable to provide a reliable estimate of the change in the level of value added tax payments for the last quarter of 2010-11.
	Budgets for the financial year 2011-12 have not yet been set and as such it is not possible to estimate the impact of tax changes.

Drugs: Finance

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he plans to implement any of the recommendations in respect of the pharmacy sector and pharmaceutical wholesalers in the McKinsey Report on NHS efficiency savings.

Simon Burns: We have no plans to make changes affecting the pharmacy and pharmaceutical wholesaler sectors based on the recommendations in the McKinsey report. We intend to build on the current contractual arrangements for community pharmacy, incentivising and supporting high quality and efficient services and optimising patients' use of their medicines to gain better value.

Drugs: Finance

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the effect on the NHS budget of changes in discounts to pharmacists, hospitals and dispensing doctors by pharmaceutical wholesalers since 1996; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: The amount of retained medicine margin generated by community pharmacy contractors through discounts and identified through medicine margin surveys is shown in the following table. Medicine margin surveys were introduced as part of the community pharmacy contractual framework in April 2005. Information relating to hospital pharmacies and dispensing doctors is not collected.
	
		
			   Retained medicine margin (£ million) 
			 2005-06 800 
			 2006-07 1,161 
			 2007-08 874 
			 2008-09 770 
			 Total 3,605 
			  Source: Department of Health Medicine Margin Survey

Homeopathy

Jim Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to respond to the Fourth Report of the Science and Technology Committee of Session 2009-10, HC 45, on Evidence check 2: Homeopathy.

Anne Milton: Following the general election, it is important that new ministers give careful consideration to the report and its recommendations. I have therefore written to the chair of the new Science and Technology Committee requesting an extension until the summer recess.

Hospital Beds

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps are being taken to ensure that elderly people are moved from hospitals to residential care in a timely fashion in order to avoid delayed discharges in the NHS.

Paul Burstow: Councils and their national health service partners have already made significant progress in reducing delays in discharge from acute hospital beds, including where patients are being discharged to residential care. We are committed to making the NHS work better by extending best practice on improving discharge from hospital.
	In the Revision to the Operating Framework for the NHS in England 2010-11 we have signalled that, for 2011-12, we are planning changes to the tariff to cover reablement and post-discharge support, including social care.

Hospitals: Greater London

Glenda Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of average waiting times from referral for elective surgery at  (a) the Royal Free hospital,  (b) Whittington hospital,  (c) University College London hospital and  (d) St Mary's hospital, Paddington in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement

Simon Burns: Information is not collected in the format requested.
	Information is held at the level of trusts and information is not available for specific hospital sites. The following table sets out the median waiting times for Referral to Treatment (in weeks) for Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust, The Whittington Hospital NHS Trust, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust in 2008-09 (latest data available).
	
		
			   Admitted patients  Non-admitted patients 
			 Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust 5.8 3.6 
			 The Whittington Hospital NHS Trust 9.7 4.9 
			 University College London NHS Foundation Trust 6.2 5.0 
			 Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust 6.4 3.9 
			  Notes: 1. Figures reflect average waiting times for patients treated during the month. 2. Waiting time is from referral to first definitive treatment. 3. Admitted figures are on an adjusted basis, i.e. excluding periods of delay introduced as a result of patients turning down offers of admissions made with reasonable notice. 4. The latest published Referral to Treatment data is for April 2010.  Source:  Department Monthly Referral to Treatment Return

Macular Degeneration: Health Services

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the  (a) incidence of and  (b) cost to the public purse of treating age-related macular degeneration in the latest period for which figures are available.

Simon Burns: The Department does not collect data on the number of people with age-related macular degeneration. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence estimated in August 2008 as part of their appraisal of ranibizumab and pegaptanib that there are about 26,000 new cases of wet age-related macular degeneration in the United Kingdom each year. The Hospital Episode Statistics produced by the NHS Information Centre for health and social care shows that there were 34,203 finished admission episodes in 2008-09 where the primary diagnosis was "degeneration of macula and posterior pole". Counts of finished admission episodes are not the same as counts of patients, as a single patient may be admitted more than once in a single year.
	Financial data on the costs of treatment of age-related macular degeneration are not collected centrally.

Muscular Dystrophy

Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if his Department will seek to meet the recently published international standards of care for Duchenne muscular dystrophy;
	(2)  if his Department will publish a national strategy for the care of Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients;
	(3)  what services are available for young people with Duchenne muscular dystrophy during their transition from paediatric to adult services.

Paul Burstow: It is the responsibility of health and care professionals, working in conjunction with patients and their families, to arrange the most appropriate health and social care for those living with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The National Service Framework for long-term conditions (the NSF) provides an overview of how this care should be provided. The eleven quality requirements of the NSF are compatible with more condition specific standards of care, such as the international TREAT-NMD recommendations for Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
	We have no plans to publish a national strategy for the care of people with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The NSF's quality requirements apply equally to Duchenne muscular dystrophy as they do for any other neuromuscular condition. The NSF covers all aspects of care from assessment, through diagnosis, information/education, treatment and support, to end of life decisions and palliative care.
	Those living with Duchenne muscular dystrophy should continue to be able to access the full range of health and social care services during the transition from paediatric to adulthood. It is the responsibility of local health bodies and health professionals to ensure transition to adult services does not result in a deterioration in available services.

NHS

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what timetable he has set for  (a) the publication of the Health White Paper and the related introduction of associated legislative proposals and  (b) the introduction of the proposed independent NHS Board.

Simon Burns: The "Coalition: our programme for government" document confirms this Government's intention to establish an independent NHS Board to allocate resources and provide commissioning guidelines. The Queen's Speech also confirmed that there would be a Health Bill in this parliamentary Session. We will bring forward more detailed proposals in due course.

NHS: ICT

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the NHS spent on information technology in 2009.

Simon Burns: Information technology (IT) expenditure reported by the national health service in the 2008-09 financial year amounted to £1,624 million, broken down as follows:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 Strategic health authorities 27 
			 Primary care trusts 682 
			 NHS trusts 915 
		
	
	These figures comprise revenue expenditure (£1,363 million) reported through an annual national survey of IT investment, and capital expenditure (£261 million), including software licences, identified in NHS Accounts and reported by foundation trusts. They do not include expenditure by special health authorities or central expenditure funded by the Department.
	The National programme for IT expenditure on behalf of the NHS for the 2008-09 financial year amounted to £1,063 million comprising revenue expenditure (£528 million) and capital expenditure (£535 million) of which includes non information management and technology associated costs.
	Note:
	Figures rounded to the nearest whole £ million

NHS: ICT

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent on NHS IT projects undertaken by companies with headquarters outside the UK in 2009.

Simon Burns: Comprehensive information about information technology (IT) procurements by national health service organisations is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	The spend by the Department for the National programme for IT in the 2009-10 financial year is given in the following table.
	
		
			  Table: Spend on projects undertaken by companies with headquarters outside the UK 
			   £ 
			 Accenture 10.04 
			 Atos 33.75 
			 Atos Consulting Ltd 1.36 
			 Atos Origin IT Services UK Ltd 2.80 
			 Cable and Wireless UK 23.50 
			 CSC 213.00 
			 CSC Computer Science 0.23 
			 Fujitsu 37.26 
			 Fujitsu Services 0.40 
			 Total 322.36 
			  Note: These figures are inclusive of VAT and rounded to the nearest £ million.

NHS: Translation Services

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent by the NHS on translation services in  (a) 2008-09 and  (b) 2009-10; when his Department last reviewed its level of expenditure on such services; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Burstow: National health service bodies are not required to report their planned or actual spending on interpretation and translation services to the Department. When planning such services, NHS bodies should take due account of their legal duties, the composition of the communities they serve, and the needs and circumstances of their patients, service users and local populations.

Respite Care

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding his Department allocated to each primary care trust for carer's breaks in each of the last four years; what records his Department maintains of the ways in which primary care trusts deploy such funding; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Burstow: The previous Government made £150 million available within primary care trust (PCT) allocations (£50 million in 2009-10 and £100 million in 2010-11) to enable them to provide breaks for carers. Although this was new money, it was not ring-fenced and no mechanisms were put in place to ensure that the money was spent on carers. The £150 million formed part of PCTs' overall total allocations and PCTs were not provided individual sums for breaks.
	The NHS Operating Framework for 2010-11 distinguishes the national 'must dos' from those areas where local organisations should set their priorities based on local needs. Supporting carers has been an area identified for PCTs to choose to prioritise for local action and agree funding with local partner organisations. As such, the Department maintains no central records of how much each PCT spends on supporting carers.

EDUCATION

Departmental Mobile Phones

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education which Ministers in his Department have been issued with  (a) a BlackBerry,  (b) an iPhone,  (c) another make of mobile telephone and  (d) a personal digital assistant supplied by the Department.

Tim Loughton: All five Ministers at this Department have been issued with one BlackBerry each. No iPhones, mobile phones or personal digital assistants have been issued to Ministers.

Departmental Official Cars

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many  (a) civil servants and  (b) special advisers in his Department are entitled to the use of (i) a car with a dedicated driver, (ii) a car from the Government car pool and (iii) a taxi ordered through a departmental account.

Tim Loughton: There are no civil servants or special advisers entitled to the use of (a) a car with a dedicated driver or (b) a car from the Government car pool.
	Civil servants and special advisers are discouraged from using a taxi unless there are special circumstances. These are:
	When there is no public transport available, especially when travelling early in the morning or late at night before public transport starts or is running regularly.
	When he/she has a temporary or permanent disability.
	When he/she has heavy luggage to carry.
	When it is more important that he/she saves official time.
	When he/she is in an unfamiliar town and is uncertain of public transport.
	When he/she is concerned for his/her physical safety.

Special Educational Needs

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many and what proportion of students at  (a) academy and  (b) non-academy schools in each education authority had a statement of special educational needs in the academic year 2009-10.

Sarah Teather: holding answer 29 June 2010
	The information requested is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Academies and LA maintained secondary schools( 1) : Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs( 2)  January 2010 (final) Government Office Region and local authority area in England 
			   Academies  LA maintained secondary 
			   Pupils with statements  Pupils on roll  Percentage of pupils with statements  Pupils with statements  Pupils on roll  Percentage of pupils with statements 
			  England( 3) 4,210 193,280 2.2 59,390 3,055,420 1.9 
			
			  North East( 3) 320 11,120 2.9 2,980 156,870 1.9 
			 Darlington (4)- 574 (4)- 88 5,314 1.7 
			 Durham (5)- (5)- (5)- 502 30,467 1.6 
			 Gateshead (5)- (5)- (5)- 233 11,376 2.0 
			 Hartlepool (5)- (5)- (5)- 121 6,234 1.9 
			 Middlesbrough 94 3,328 2.8 121 4,941 2.4 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 11 1,165 0.9 227 14,813 1.5 
			 North Tyneside (5)- (5)- (5)- 290 13,202 2.2 
			 Northumberland 161 3,637 4.4 641 25,628 2.5 
			 Redcar and Cleveland (5)- (5)- (5)- 162 9,366 1.7 
			 South Tyneside (5)- (5)- (5)- 136 9,066 1.5 
			 Stockton-on-Tees (5)- (5)- (5)- 209 11,340 1.8 
			 Sunderland 54 2,412 2.2 245 15,125 1.6 
			
			  North West( 3) 470 23,160 2.0 8,400 410,820 2.0 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 15 771 1.9 229 8,685 2.6 
			 Blackpool (5)- (5)- (5)- 83 7,897 1.1 
			 Bolton 16 1,681 1.0 351 17,229 2.0 
			 Bury (5)- (5)- (5)- 334 11,117 3.0 
			 Cheshire East (5)- (5)- (5)- 532 22,337 2.4 
			 Cheshire West and Chester 53 1,224 4.3 439 20,432 2.1 
			 Cumbria 128 4,673 2.7 665 28,903 2.3 
			 Halton (5)- (5)- (5)- 150 7,536 2.0 
			 Knowsley (5)- (5)- (5)- 162 7,497 2.2 
			 Lancashire 65 2,003 3.2 1,577 67,321 2.3 
			 Liverpool 10 2,747 0.4 243 28,019 0.9 
			 Manchester 83 4,394 1.9 493 19,006 2.6 
			 Oldham (5)- (5)- (5)- 227 15,918 1.4 
			 Rochdale 20 600 3.3 296 12,095 2.4 
			 Salford 18 1,163 1.5 108 9,783 1.1 
			 Sefton (5)- (5)- (5)- 205 19,176 1.1 
			 St. Helens (5)- (5)- (5)- 107 10,661 1.0 
			 Stockport 22 711 3.1 401 13,954 2.9 
			 Tameside 36 2,446 1.5 162 11,861 1.4 
			 Trafford (5)- (5)- (5)- 289 16,562 1.7 
			 Warrington (5)- (5)- (5)- 439 13,318 3.3 
			 Wigan (5)- (5)- (5)- 431 19,114 2.3 
			 Wirral (5)- (5)- (5)- 477 22,400 2.1 
			
			  Yorkshire  a nd The Humber( 3) 400 21,950 1.8 5,400 309,230 1.7 
			 Barnsley 18 532 3.4 287 12,388 2.3 
			 Bradford 79 4,068 1.9 447 29,884 1.5 
			 Calderdale (5)- (5)- (5)- 391 15,391 2.5 
			 Doncaster 40 3,136 1.3 236 17,357 1.4 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire (5)- (5)- (5)- 442 22,630 2.0 
			 Kingston Upon Hull, City of 38 1,864 2.0 184 11,832 1.6 
			 Kirklees (5)- (5)- (5)- 506 25,872 2.0 
			 Leeds 24 2,932 0.8 593 42,800 1.4 
			 North East Lincolnshire 81 2,582 3.1 211 7,009 3.0 
			 North Lincolnshire 24 597 4.0 308 9,335 3.3 
			 North Yorkshire (5)- (5)- (5)- 524 40,249 1.3 
			 Rotherham 15 1,218 1.2 294 18,156 1.6 
			 Sheffield 39 2,849 1.4 443 27,543 1.6 
			 Wakefield 39 2,168 1.8 397 18,851 2.1 
			 York (5)- (5)- (5)- 141 9,931 1.4 
			
			  East Midlands( 3) 490 20,790 2.4 4,830 271,770 1.8 
			 Derby 11 1,097 1.0 192 15,165 1.3 
			 Derbyshire (5)- (5)- (5)- 1,013 48,390 2.1 
			 Leicester 22 776 2.8 288 17,157 1.7 
			 Leicestershire (5)- (5)- (5)- 1,033 45,506 2.3 
			 Lincolnshire 242 6,857 3.5 982 41,393 2.4 
			 Northamptonshire 200 6,088 3.3 987 41,700 2.4 
			 Nottingham 12 5,220 0.2 50 9,513 0.5 
			 Nottinghamshire (4)- 747 (4)- 202 50,574 0.4 
			 Rutland (5)- (5)- (5)- 78 2,372 3.3 
			
			  West Midlands( 3) 350 20,600 1.7 6,980 338,580 2.1 
			 Birmingham 53 2,816 1.9 1,400 66,266 2.1 
			 Coventry 9 710 1.3 299 19,168 1.6 
			 Dudley (5)- (5)- (5)- 416 19,694 2.1 
			 Herefordshire 23 1,021 2.3 185 9,037 2.0 
			 Sandwell 74 6,059 1.2 282 14,267 2.0 
			 Shropshire (5)- (5)- (5)- 539 16,832 3.2 
			 Solihull 58 3,781 1.5 294 13,239 2.2 
			 Staffordshire (5)- (5)- (5)- 964 56,279 1.7 
			 Stoke-on-Trent (5)- (5)- (5)- 377 13,105 2.9 
			 Telford and Wrekin 45 1,572 2.9 237 8,965 2.6 
			 Walsall 37 3,248 1.1 283 17,473 1.6 
			 Warwickshire (5)- (5)- (5)- 630 33,602 1.9 
			 Wolverhampton 42 736 5.7 327 14,562 2.2 
			 Worcestershire 11 661 1.7 747 36,094 2.1 
			
			  East  o f England( 3) 480 16,390 3.0 7,760 370,570 2.1 
			 Bedford (5)- (5)- (5)- 294 14,872 2.0 
			 Central Bedfordshire 8 525 1.5 437 21,560 2.0 
			 Cambridgeshire (5)- (5)- (5)- 850 32,373 2.6 
			 Essex 197 7,145 2.8 1,716 81,883 2.1 
			 Hertfordshire 21 1,613 1.3 888 78,714 1.1 
			 Luton 22 1,721 1.3 221 10,573 2.1 
			 Norfolk 68 1,128 6.0 1,529 48,372 3.2 
			 Peterborough 114 2,832 4.0 280 10,345 2.7 
			 Southend-on-Sea (5)- (5)- (5)- 183 13,000 1.4 
			 Suffolk (5)- (5)- (5)- 1,138 51,422 2.2 
			 Thurrock 54 1,427 3.8 227 7,453 3.0 
			
			  London( 3) 980 43,620 2.2 8,880 406,510 2.2 
			
			  Inner London( 3) 600 23,290 2.6 3,010 117,040 2.6 
			 Camden (5)- (5)- (5)- 317 9,892 3.2 
			 City of London (5)- (5)- (5)- (5)- (5)- (5)- 
			 Hackney 131 2,525 5.2 147 6,026 2.4 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 13 892 1.5 136 6,159 2.2 
			 Haringey 14 1,043 1.3 385 12,162 3.2 
			 Islington 47 1,500 3.1 107 6,413 1.7 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 7 162 4.3 78 3,434 2.3 
			 Lambeth 42 1,281 3.3 271 8,466 3.2 
			 Lewisham 82 3,786 2.2 259 10,279 2.5 
			 Newham (5)- (5)- (5)- 233 17,970 1.3 
			 Southwark 165 7,373 2.2 173 5,734 3.0 
			 Tower Hamlets (5)- (5)- (5)- 500 14,783 3.4 
			 Wandsworth 25 1,107 2.3 241 10,387 2.3 
			 Westminster 69 3,623 1.9 159 5,335 3.0 
			
			  Outer London( 3) 390 20,330 1.9 5,870 289,470 2.0 
			 Barking and Dagenham (5)- (5)- (5)- 303 13,013 2.3 
			 Barnet 48 1,718 2.8 434 19,798 2.2 
			 Bexley 57 2,596 2.2 343 17,347 2.0 
			 Brent 57 2,732 2.1 346 15,241 2.3 
			 Bromley (5)- (5)- (5)- 527 22,638 2.3 
			 Croydon 54 5,088 1.1 219 15,024 1.5 
			 Ealing 22 1,450 1.5 304 16,415 1.9 
			 Enfield 35 1,696 2.1 356 20,539 1.7 
			 Greenwich 36 790 4.6 467 13,639 3.4 
			 Harrow (5)- (5)- (5)- 190 9,967 1.9 
			 Havering (5)- (5)- (5)- 263 16,655 1.6 
			 Hillingdon 28 1,754 1.6 256 16,780 1.5 
			 Hounslow (5)- (5)- (5)- 246 16,561 1.5 
			 Kingston upon Thames (5)- (5)- (5)- 160 9,960 1.6 
			 Merton 38 1,665 2.3 165 6,888 2.4 
			 Redbridge (5)- (5)- (5)- 400 21,624 1.8 
			 Richmond upon Thames (5)- (5)- (5)- 255 6,649 3.8 
			 Sutton (5)- (5)- (5)- 311 16,775 1.9 
			 Waltham Forest 11 839 1.3 329 13,960 2.4 
			
			  South East( 3) 470 24,700 1.9 8,430 480,230 1.8 
			 Bracknell Forest (5)- (5)- (5)- 161 6,330 2.5 
			 Brighton and Hove (5)- (5)- (5)- 251 12,160 2.1 
			 Buckinghamshire 11 726 1.5 544 33,998 1.6 
			 East Sussex (5)- (5)- (5)- 571 27,418 2.1 
			 Hampshire (5)- (5)- (5)- 857 69,678 1.2 
			 Isle of Wight (5)- (5)- (5)- 215 11,436 1.9 
			 Kent 241 10,785 2.2 1,346 88,544 1.5 
			 Medway 26 1,346 1.9 343 17,946 1.9 
			 Milton Keynes 24 1,167 2.1 275 15,507 1.8 
			 Oxfordshire 33 1,588 2.1 660 34,197 1.9 
			 Portsmouth 9 361 2.5 156 8,595 1.8 
			 Reading 27 897 3.0 117 5,448 2.1 
			 Slough 20 1,090 1.8 134 8,868 1.5 
			 Southampton 13 1,650 0.8 72 8,664 0.8 
			 Surrey (5)- (5)- (5)- 1,198 59,584 2.0 
			 West Berkshire (5)- (5)- (5)- 290 12,067 2.4 
			 West Sussex 69 5,092 1.4 737 39,495 1.9 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead (5)- (5)- (5)- 265 10,123 2.6 
			 Wokingham (5)- (5)- (5)- 237 10,170 2.3 
			
			  South West( 3) 250 10,960 2.3 5,740 310,840 1.8 
			 Bath and North East Somerset (5)- (5)- (5)- 186 12,518 1.5 
			 Bournemouth (5)- (5)- (5)- 121 9,742 1.2 
			 Bristol, City of 132 5,411 2.4 303 11,668 2.6 
			 Cornwall (5)- (5)- (5)- 818 31,859 2.6 
			 Devon (5)- (5)- (5)- 1,115 42,628 2.6 
			 Dorset (5)- (5)- (5)- 463 29,697 1.6 
			 Gloucestershire (5)- (5)- (5)- 608 39,710 1.5 
			 Isles of Scilly (5)- (5)- (5)- (5)- (5)- (5)- 
			 North Somerset (5)- (5)- (5)- 134 12,749 1.1 
			 Plymouth (5)- (5)- (5)- 406 17,894 2.3 
			 Poole (5)- (5)- (5)- 99 8,296 1.2 
			 Somerset (5)- (5)- (5)- 279 31,245 0.9 
			 South Gloucestershire 57 3,501 1.6 283 14,875 1.9 
			 Swindon 47 1,421 3.3 220 10,967 2.0 
			 Torbay (5)- (5)- (5)- 226 8,582 2.6 
			 Wiltshire 12 625 1.9 475 28,412 1.7 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed but excludes city technology colleges. (2) Excludes dual registrations. (3) National and regional totals have been rounded to the nearest 10. There may be discrepancies between totals and the sum of constituent parts. (4) Fewer than five pupils. (5) No schools of this type.  Source: School Census

Young People: Voluntary Organisations

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what changes he has made to the Youth Sector Development Fund; what his policy is on the future role of the Fund; and if he will make a statement.

Tim Loughton: The Youth Sector Development Fund (YSDF) seeks to build the capacity and sustainability of Civil Society organisations delivering services to young people. 43 organisations currently receive YSDF support under the terms of grant agreements that expire in March 2011.
	Plans to extend the programme in 2010-11 have not been carried forward and the savings that resulted formed part of the £6.2 billion savings announced on 24 May 2010.
	Future policy on YSDF will be determined in due course as part of the forthcoming spending review.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland

Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has for the introduction of a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland.

Hugo Swire: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier to the hon. Member for Garston and Halewood (Maria Eagle).

Local Government

Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions he has had with the First Minister on the effects of proposals for reorganisation of local government in Northern Ireland.

Hugo Swire: Following confirmation from the Executive that the reorganisation of local government in 2011 will not now go ahead, I have written to the First and deputy First Ministers to express my disappointment at this outcome and to confirm that elections will now be held to the existing 26 councils next year.

Northern Ireland Assembly

David Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions he has had with the Ulster Unionist Party on the forthcoming elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly; and if he will make a statement.

Owen Paterson: As Secretary of State I have had discussions with all Northern Ireland political parties on a range of issues relevant to the ongoing political process.

Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries

Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent representations he has received on changes to parliamentary constituency boundaries in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

Owen Paterson: The Government have announced that legislation will be introduced to provide for the creation of fewer and more equal sized constituencies. Further details will be announced in due course, and Parliament will have the opportunity to debate the provisions in full. No representations have been received regarding changes to parliamentary constituency boundaries in Northern Ireland.

TREASURY

Child Tax Credit: Stirling

Anne McGuire: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people in Stirling constituency claim child tax credit.

David Gauke: The latest information on the number of families with children who receive Child and Working Tax Credits, by each parliamentary constituency, is available in the HMRC snapshot publication "Child and Working Tax Credits Statistics. Geographical Analyses. April 2010", available at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/cwtc-geog-apr2010.pdf

EU Grants and Loans

Andrew George: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to ensure that sufficient UK match funding will be available to enable  (a) the delivery of the EU convergence programme and  (b) draw down of budgeted EU structural funding.

Justine Greening: The emergency Budget set the overall path for the public finances to 2015-16. Departmental allocations will be set at the spending review, after which we will be in a position to make spending decisions including for match funding for EU Structural Funds. The spending review will be published on 20 October and will cover the four-year period from April 2011 to March 2015.

Government Departments: Procurement

John Pugh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will consider the merits of extending the role of the Office of Government Commerce in  (a) the provision of contract management advice to government departments and  (b) monitoring the performance of major suppliers under such contracts.

Francis Maude: I have been asked to reply.
	The recently announced Efficiency Reform Group (ERG), which includes the Office of Government Commerce, will provide a stronger central focus on achieving efficiency savings, including through better contract management and monitoring the performance of suppliers.

Ministerial Statements

John Healey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what procedures apply to the length of time between a Minister in his Department making a Statement to the House and publication of that Statement on his Department's website; and when the Statement made on  (a) 17 June 2010 and  (b) 22 June 2010 will be published on the website.

Justine Greening: HM Treasury publishes Treasury Ministers' oral statements as soon as possible. Oral statements for the dates referred to were published on the Treasury website on the day they were made.

Personal Income

Liz Kendall: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  if he will publish estimates of the likely effect of direct tax, indirect tax and benefit and tax credit changes announced in Budget 2010 as an absolute amount by income decile by 2012-13, excluding both the effect of the 50 per cent. additional income tax rate and the effect of the increase in employee national insurance contributions introduced in April 2010;
	(2)  with reference to chart A1 of Budget 2010, whether his Department's analysis of the effect of direct tax, indirect tax and benefit and tax credit changes by income decile includes  (a) the 50 per cent. additional rate of income tax and  (b) the increase in employee national insurance contributions introduced in April 2010.

David Gauke: Analysis has been published in the Red Book showing the impact of measures to be in place in 2012-13 compared with those in place today. The Government believe that as they have chosen to retain some of the policies they have inherited while reversing other decisions that this is the most appropriate way to present the impact of June 2010 Budget decisions.
	The policies that were introduced in April 2010, for example the 50% additional rate of income tax, are already included in the baseline and so they will have no impact when compared with April 2012.
	A full list of policies included in the analysis is included on pages 11-12 of the Data Sources document published alongside the June 2010 Budget, available at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/junebudget_costings.pdf

Pregnant Women: Grants

Caroline Flint: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many women in each  (a) constituency and  (b) local authority received the Health in Pregnancy grant in each year since its inception.

Justine Greening: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Rutherglen and Hamilton West (Tom Greatrex) on 29 June 2010,  Official Report, column 502W.

Revenue and Customs: Great Yarmouth

Brandon Lewis: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will review the decision of HM Revenue and Customs to relocate jobs held by staff at Havenbridge House in Great Yarmouth to Norwich for the purpose of retaining those jobs in Great Yarmouth.

David Gauke: The decision in December 2008 to close the HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) office in Great Yarmouth was made after extensive consultation and detailed feasibility work under the previous Government. There are no plans to revisit the decision and the office is expected to close for business during 2010-11 .HMRC is committed to providing face to face advice for customers in Great Yarmouth at or near the existing location for those customers who need it.

Sheffield Forgemasters: Finance

Clive Betts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the amount of revenue accruing to the Exchequer that would have been paid in tax by employees in jobs created by the installation of a new press at Sheffield Forgemasters funded by the proposed £80 million Government loan; and if he will make a statement.

David Gauke: In order to estimate additional taxation revenue created by the projects, it would be necessary to consider net jobs created by the projects. This would take displacement of employment and taxation revenue from elsewhere into account.
	Officials from the Department for Business are working with Sheffield Forgemasters to explore the possibility of raising private funding for this worthwhile project that does not make the existing shareholders worse off.

Strategy Insurance Ltd

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many complaints  (a) the Financial Services Authority and  (b) the Financial Ombudsman Service has received on the activities of Strategy Insurance Limited in each of the last 10 years; and if he will publish (i) details of each investigation and (ii) their conclusions.

Mark Hoban: holding answer 22 June 2010
	The Financial Services Authority (FSA) is the independent regulator for the financial services industry in the UK and the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) is an independent body resolving financial services disputes.
	I understand that Strategy Insurance Limited is not authorised by the FSA and is not covered by the FOS's compulsory or voluntary jurisdiction.

Tax Allowances: Video Games

Tom Watson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to introduce a tax relief scheme for the video games industry.

David Gauke: The Chancellor of the Exchequer announced in the Budget statement that the Government will not introduce a tax relief for the UK video games industry.
	The Budget announced a package of reforms to business taxation, reducing rates of corporation tax for all companies. Companies in all sectors will benefit from these changes, including those in the video games industry.

Taxation: Business

Anne McGuire: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many businesses in Stirling constituency had used the Time to Pay programme operated by HM Revenue and Customs on the most recent date for which figures are available.

David Gauke: HMRC collates information on the number and value of Time to Pay arrangements granted through the Business Payment Support Service (BPSS). Data on the number of businesses using the service are not readily available at constituency level. At any point in time a business may have more than one arrangement covering its different tax liabilities. A business may be granted a number of successive arrangements.
	Between 24 November 2008 and 20 June 2010, 510 arrangements spreading payments covering tax debts worth £7.4 million have been granted to businesses within the constituency of Stirling following contact with the BPSS.

VAT: Churches

Jim Dowd: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has for the future of the Listed Places of Worship scheme.

John Penrose: I have been asked to reply.
	The Listed Places of Worship (LPW) scheme, which makes grants equivalent to the VAT incurred in making repairs to listed buildings in use as places of worship, is expected to make grants of around £15 million UK-wide in 2010-11. I acknowledge the scheme's significant role in helping to keep our listed ecclesiastical buildings in a good state of repair. A decision on the scheme's future beyond the end of 2010-11 can only be made as part of the 2010 spending review, and will be publicised as soon as is possible.

Welfare Tax Credits

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the administrative cost of processing the proposed changes to the level of earnings disregard for tax credits.

David Gauke: The preliminary estimate of the administrative costs of introducing the reduction in the earnings disregard is estimated to be in the range of £1 million to £3 million per year.
	This achieves an Exchequer saving in the costs of paying tax credits rising to £420 million in 2014-15, as set out in line 43 of Table 2.1 in Budget 2010, HC 61, 22 June 2010.

Welfare Tax Credits

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of persons likely to be affected by the proposal to changes to the level of earnings disregard for tax credits.

Justine Greening: The disregard for income rises will be reduced from £25,000 to £10,000 in 2011-12, and then to £5,000 in 2013-14.
	Based on information on finalised 2008-09 tax credit awards and the number of income changes reported in that year, it is estimated that around 155,000 families will have an income rise of more than £10,000, and 275,000 families will have an income rise between £5,000 to £10,000.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Consultants

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent meetings Ministers in his Department have had with representatives of the think tanks  (a) Localis and  (b) Policy Exchange.

Grant Shapps: Since the Coalition Government was formed, no CLG Minister has met with representatives of either  (a) Localis or  (b) Policy Exchange.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many officials in his Department are working on renegotiating contracts for the supply of goods and services to the Department as a result of recently announced reductions in public spending; what savings are expected to accrue to his Department from such renegotiations; how much expenditure his Department will incur on such renegotiations; and when such renegotiations will be completed.

Bob Neill: There is a core of procurement staff (23) within the Department's corporate procurement division (CPD) plus a total of 17 further staff with delegated authority in communications and research areas who will involve numerous stakeholders within different business units to undertake the negotiations and make decisions. The Department's target for savings in 2010-11 is £50 million. As existing officials are primarily involved in renegotiation no additional expenditure is expected. Negotiations are currently taking place and are expected to be concluded by the end of the current financial year.

Estate Agents

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent meetings Ministers in his Department have had with representatives of the estate agency industry.

Grant Shapps: Since the Coalition Government was formed, no CLG Minister has met with representatives of the estate agency industry.

Housing Benefit: Homlessness

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on the effect of proposed changes to the payment of housing benefit on  (a) levels of homelessness and  (b) demand for affordable housing in each of the next five years.

Grant Shapps: Ministers from this Department regularly meet with their colleagues in other Departments including those at the Department for Work and Pensions to discuss cross cutting issues.

Housing Benefit: Homlessness

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the June 2010 Budget, what his most recent estimate is of the effect on the level of homelessness of the proposed changes to housing benefit; and what estimate he has made of the likely cost to the public purse.

Grant Shapps: The Department for Work and Pensions undertakes an assessment of the impact on specific groups as part of the policy development process. DWP will publish formal impact assessments in due course.

Housing: Finance

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the Financial Statement of 22 June 2010,  Official Report, columns 116-30, how much of the future funding agreed before 24 May 2010 he now plans to allocate to expenditure on housing.

Grant Shapps: We are clear that having reviewed the overall financial position, the previous Government have left a large funding black hole in their plans for social housing. This Government, as part of their plans to tackle this funding black hole, have chosen to recycle £170 million of the £6.2 billion of efficiency savings announced last month into social housing.
	The Emergency Budget on 22 June set out further measures to deal with the budget deficit and give confidence to the economy. With regards to housing budgets we are continuing to review the position with HM Treasury and will be reaching a conclusion soon.

Local Government Finance

Dominic Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he expects the local government finance review to  (a) commence and  (b) conclude.

Bob Neill: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Nottingham East (Chris Leslie) on 8 June 2010,  Official Report, column 132W.

Local Government Finance: Stockton

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 10 June 2010,  Official Report, columns 15-17WS, on the local government savings package, what assessment he has made of the likely effects on the provision of services in Stockton of changes to his Department's funding allocation in 2010-11.

Bob Neill: We have asked local authorities to make a contribution of £1.166 billion to the £6.2 billion of cross-Government savings in 2010-11 to enable the Government to take immediate action to start to tackle the fiscal deficit. Of this, £358.5 million will come from my Department's budget and £175.0 million will come from the budget which my Department holds on behalf of Government as a whole.
	The reduction in grants for individual local authorities for which final allocations had been announced is set out in the document made available to the House at the time of the written ministerial statement of 10 June 2010,  Official Report, columns 15-17WS.
	Local authorities are free to make their own decisions about where savings are found. We have ensured that councils have the flexibility to take decisions locally on how to deliver the savings needed without impacting on essential frontline services.

Non-domestic Rates: Garages and Petrol Stations

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent assessment has been made of the appropriateness of the methodology for calculating business rates for petrol stations.

David Gauke: I have been asked to reply.
	The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) keeps all its rating methodologies under constant review to ensure they provide accurate valuations.
	Following meetings with representatives of the petrol station industry, in which new information was provided, adjustments have been made to some of the figures used within the methodology for valuing petrol stations for non-domestic rating purposes. As a result the VOA will shortly be issuing revised valuations.

Social Rented Housing: Rents

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether he plans to ease restrictions on rent rises for  (a) local authorities and  (b) housing associations.

Grant Shapps: There are no current plans to ease restrictions on rent rises.

Urban Areas: Sustainable Development

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what financial and other support his Department has provided to local authorities that have bid successfully for the establishment of an eco-town or eco-development in their area in the last 12 months.

Grant Shapps: Local authorities at the locations with potential to have an eco-town have received the 2009-10 funding announced in the Department's press release of 8 February 2010:
	http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/+/http://www.communities.gov.uk/news/corporate/1459501
	A copy of the press release is available in the Library of the House.
	Over the last year the Department has also worked with other government Departments to identify support from their programmes for these local authorities.

Wind Power: Planning Permission

Eric Ollerenshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will bring forward proposals for a minimum required distance from residential dwellings in respect of the construction of wind farms.

Bob Neill: Current planning policy does not include an exclusion zone between wind turbines and housing. Rather, each wind farm proposal is assessed on a case by case basis according to its impacts. Looking ahead, we will radically reform the planning system to give neighbourhoods far more ability to determine the shape of the places in which their inhabitants live. In the Coalition Agreement we also said that we will publish and present to Parliament a simple and consolidated national planning framework covering all forms of development. We will make an announcement shortly on how we propose to take forward the national planning framework and the implications for specific areas of planning policy.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

British Overseas Territories

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will consider the merits of ending subsidies paid to  (a) Bermuda and  (b) the Virgin Islands for (i) the regulation of civil aviation and (ii) other services.

Henry Bellingham: There are no direct subsidies paid to either Bermuda or the British Virgin Islands (BVI) in respect of the regulation of civil aviation services. The Department for Transport funds Air Safety Support International (ASSI), a subsidiary of the Civil Aviation Authority, which is responsible for ensuring that the UK's obligations under the Convention on International Civil Aviation are met in the Overseas Territories. ASSI also regulates aviation activity in the British Virgin Islands under a contract with the BVI Government. The Department for Transport is currently reviewing the scope for obtaining funding for ASSI from the Overseas Territories.
	The Foreign and Commonwealth Office funds no ongoing or open-ended services in either territory. However, through the Overseas Territories Programme Fund (OTPF), it funds specific projects to support the delivery of the Government's objectives in all the Overseas Territories. In many cases these are also co-funded by the receiving territory. Ministers are reviewing expenditure under the OTPF.

Departmental Manpower

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many  (a) special advisers and  (b) press officers are employed by his Department; and at what Civil Service pay grade in each such case.

Alistair Burt: I refer the hon. Member to the list of Special Adviser appointments published by the Prime Minister on 10 June,  Official Report, columns 33-34W.
	The Foreign and Commonwealth Office Press office in London is currently staffed by 22 press officers of the following grades: 1 x SMS, 7 x Band D, 9 x B and C, and 5 x B and B. In addition there are support staff who do not work as press officers.

Departmental Official Cars

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many  (a) civil servants and  (b) special advisers in his Department are entitled to the use of (i) a car with a dedicated driver, (ii) a car from the Government car pool and (iii) a taxi ordered through a departmental account.

Alistair Burt: No Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) officials or special advisers in the UK have a dedicated car or driver. Heads of Mission overseas are allocated a car for their official use. They have first call on the vehicle for official purposes but they are made available for other official business as required. The security situation in some countries may occasionally necessitate the use of dedicated vehicles for staff.
	FCO Services, an executive agency of the FCO operating independently as a trading fund, operates a small pool of vehicles and security cleared drivers used mainly for transportation of diplomatic bags and other classified material. Certain senior officials (including the Permanent Under-Secretary) are able to draw on this pool for official and operationally necessary travel, on a pay-per-use basis with bookings made in advance. Use of the FCO Services car pool is subject to operational need and governed by strict internal guidelines.
	FCO staff travel by the most efficient means of transport, bearing in mind the operational requirement and the need to secure value for money for the public purse. Public transport is used whenever possible and staff avoid using taxis on official business unless it is absolutely necessary.
	Staff should not normally use a taxi at public expense between home and office-nor between airports and central London-except for journeys during the hours when public transport is not running. If it is absolutely necessary for staff to work after 9 pm or before 7 am, they may consider taking a taxi from their destination station to their home address or vice versa.

Departmental Pay

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much was paid in bonuses to civil servants in his Department in 2009-10.

Alistair Burt: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) paid a total of £7,457,502 in non-consolidated, variable, performance related pay in 2009-10. This represents 2.6%of the total pay bill for UK based staff.
	£1,052,271 was paid to staff employed by FCO Services, a trading fund of the FCO, and £61,029 to staff employed by Wilton Park, an executive agency of the FCO.
	A close and effective link between pay and performance is a key element of the pay arrangements for the civil service. For the senior civil service (SCS), for whom pay is managed by the Cabinet Office and which is based on recommendations by the Senior Salaries Review Body, performance incentives are paid primarily as non-consolidated performance payments.
	Non-consolidated, variable, performance related payments help drive continuing high performance as they must be re-earned each year. Performance is measured through the annual appraisal process which is designed specifically to help staff develop their potential and make the fullest contribution towards the achievement of FCO objectives.

Departmental Pay

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 7 June 2010,  Official Report, column 22-3W, on departmental manpower, what the salary range is of staff employed at each grade in the private office of each Minister in his Department.

Alistair Burt: The salary ranges of staff in the ministerial private offices are:
	
		
			   £ 
			 Al 16,135-17,166 
			 A2 18,525-21,696 
			 B3 21,432-27,385 
			 C4 26,102-32,509 
			 D6 43,084-55,782 
			 D7 54,340-67,861 
			 SMS2 82,900-162,500

Departmental Private Education

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much was spent by his Department on private or independent school education of children of serving staff in each of the last five years.

Alistair Burt: It is a condition of their employment that members of the Diplomatic Service (DS) must be prepared to serve anywhere in the world at any time during their career, sometimes at very short notice. Those with children have a legal obligation as parents to ensure that their children receive a full-time education from the age of five years. Members of the Diplomatic Service pay UK tax wherever they work and are entitled to have their children educated at public expense. Most parents prefer to take their children with them on posting, but in some countries we do not permit staff to take their children either for health or security reasons. In others, local schools of an acceptable standard are not available. Continuity of education is also an important factor, particularly at secondary level.
	Children's education should not be disadvantaged by the fact that their parents are in the Diplomatic Service. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) helps staff meet their potentially conflicting obligations by providing financial support for their children's education in the UK where staff choose this, or are obliged to do so given local conditions in the country to which they are posted. We expect children who accompany their parents on postings overseas to use free state schooling if it is available locally and suitable. If suitable English-language schooling is not available free of charge locally, but is available at fee-charging schools, we refund fees to enable children to receive the education they would be entitled to in the UK. This provision applies to all our diverse DS staff posted overseas, including junior support staff and single parents.
	Over the last five years the Department has paid for between 1,500 and 2,000 children of British diplomats to receive the education to which they are entitled, either in the UK or at local schools overseas. Expenditure in the UK has decreased in real terms as fewer families now choose boarding school but costs of schools overseas have increased as sterling has weakened. The costs are as follows:-
	
		
			  Education in the UK 
			  (£) 
			 2009-10 9,399,215 
			 2008-09 9,381,705 
			 2007-08 8,951,104 
			 2006-07 9,242,316 
			 2005-06 9,361,407 
		
	
	
		
			  Education at local schools overseas 
			  (£) 
			 2009-10 11,535,667 
			 2008-09 8,622,749 
			 2007-08 7,157,772 
			 2006-07 7,160,449 
			 2005-06 6,696,235

India: Human Trafficking

Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the government of India on human trafficking.

Alistair Burt: We have not had any discussions with the Indian Government on the issue of human trafficking. However, through the European Commission, the EU has run three projects during the period 2000-10 on human trafficking in India, focussing on both inter-state trafficking in India and regional trafficking in South Asia.

Iraq

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what projects in Iraq are being funded by his Department; what the budget is of each; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: The tri-departmental conflict pool's middle east programme, which is jointly managed by the Ministry of Defence, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the Department for International Development, has an allocation of £6.8 million to support projects in Iraq in the current financial year. The objective of the middle east conflict pool is to support the development of effective and accountable public institutions to protect citizens and deliver services in Iraq. All three Departments deliver projects funded by the conflict pool. Projects to be delivered by the FCO in 2010-11 are:
	
		
			  Name  Allocation (£) 
			 Provision of justice and forensic advisers to support the Iraqi criminal justice system in its efforts to increase the use of forensic evidence and reduce reliance on confessions. (April 2010-March 2011) 1,639,489 
			 Provision of secondees to the EU Integrated Rule of Law mission to Iraq (EUJUST LEX), which trains police, judiciary and penitentiary officers through workshops and secondments, with an emphasis on human rights. (April 2010-March 2011) 365,000 
			 Supporting the Iraqi Parliament in the creation of scrutiny committees, which will lead to more thorough and rigorous scrutiny of the executive. (April 2010-March 2011) 356,000 
			 Total 2,360,489 
		
	
	In addition to conflict pool funded projects, the FCO also has an allocation of £147,555 for 2010-11 to deliver targeted projects aimed at enhancing bilateral relations with Iraq. Previous projects include training for journalists, a human rights public awareness campaign and an electoral awareness project.

Middle East: Weapons of Mass Destruction

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on the creation of a Middle East Weapons of Mass Destruction-Free Zone.

Alistair Burt: The agreement at the Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference to hold a regional conference in 2012 on a Middle East Weapons of Mass Destruction-Free Zone was an important step forward. It will allow all states in the region to play a role in the process. We are committed to working constructively with all states in the region to ensure the conference is a success.

Nuclear Disarmament: Treaties

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government is taking to encourage the drawing up of an international treaty to terminate the production of fissile material; and how many staff in his Department are assigned to work on that proposed treaty.

Alistair Burt: The UK continues to support and push for the immediate start of negotiations on a Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty (FMCT) in the Conference on Disarmament. We are working with international partners to find a way forward and welcome proposals for the UN Secretary-General to convene a high level meeting in September 2010 in support of the work on the Conference on Disarmament.
	My nuclear team works on FMCT, as well as colleagues from the Ministry of Defence and the Department of Energy and Climate Change.

Sri Lanka: Human Rights

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he plans to make representations to the Government of Sri Lanka on access to that country by the panel on human rights appointed by the UN.

Alistair Burt: We welcome the Secretary-General's announcement of a panel of experts to advise on best practices for investigations into the alleged violations of international human rights and humanitarian law.
	We welcome the establishment of the Government of Sri Lanka's "Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission". It is important that this process be transparent and credible, and that it has the confidence of the people of Sri Lanka. The UN is well placed to assist the Government of Sri Lanka on such matters. We encourage it to consider drawing on the UN's knowledge to enhance its own domestic process.